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History, Origins & First Meeting

The first meeting of SWOC was held in 1948. The inside cover of the first meeting book records that:

“ The club started as a result of a letter sent by FC Durbin to all orthopaedic surgeons of consultant status working in the South West. This asked whether they would be interested in forming an orthopaedic society; the response was unanimously in favour of such a society and accordingly a meeting was arranged in Plymouth for March 6th 1948. Plymouth was chosen as the venue because Mr Charles Kennedy, a general surgeon there, had started the foundations of an orthopaedic service in the South West when none existed elsewhere in the region. ”

The first SWOC meeting was held in the Nurses’ lecture theatre at Mount Gould Hospital.

Mount Gould Hospital

The meeting was attended by the following:

Mr Rentoul – Truro

Mr Kirwan – Truro

Mr Fitzgerald – Truro

Miss May – Truro

Mr Winckworth – Taunton

Miss Murray – Taunton

Dr Lipman – Plymouth

Mr Kennedy – Exeter

Dr Mason – Plymouth

Mr Salz – Plymouth

Mr Jowett – Taunton

Mr Bastow – Bath

Mr Lillie – Plymouth

Mr Eyre-Brook – Bristol

Mr Blundell Jones – Exeter

Mr Capener – Exeter

Mr Durbin – Exeter

Mr Boucher – Plymouth

The club was named, the idea of rotating biannual meetings agreed (with Winford next), and membership limited to “those of the profession practising orthopaedics in the South West region, including Registrars and Housemen”, with the latter “encouraged to demonstrate cases and take an active part in the proceedings”. Mr Durbin of Exeter was elected as Honorary Secretary – a post that he held for the first 11 years. The meeting heard four short papers, discussed short case patients that were presented, and were then served tea by the nursing staff.